When Art Thou?
by Moon's Fallen Child
Summary: Out of a warped sense of protecting the future, Albus sent the twin of Tom Riddle into the future so that the two may never meet. Due to Tom's obsession with his sister, Albus inadvertently created the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort.
1. Chapter 1

Merope Gaunt was by no means a beautiful women - in both appearance and personality. And she knew this, having to drug her husband into marrying her. She was a depressed old woman - she refused to call herself a witch. Unfortunately, she was also giving birth to the two children sired by the man she loved. Yes, two. Twins, though the knowledge would likely never make it outside of this miserable orphanage.

She supposed the twins should be lucky she had decided to make it here instead of in some alley when her water broke. The woman - she had no idea what her name was - had gently brought her into the depressing and dark little building to the dingy basement, having her lay down on a padding of blankets.

It was hazy after that. Merope wasn't positive what was going on, all she heard were murmurs and the occasional brush of hands or a wet rag. Vaguely, she heard someone tell her to bite onto a strip of leather, and not having the energy to argue, she did so. It was then, suddenly, that pain like no other ripped through her. Her teeth clenched the leather tightly, a scream still escaping it's edges. She heard a different female voice tell her to push. But Merope no longer had control of her body, racked with spasms. Her body ran on instinct.

Minutes, or perhaps hours, seemed to pass before she heard a short wail. It resounded throughout the stone room before it slowly died off and she heard a few short whimpers. But the pain wasn't done, and before she had time to look at her first child, she was screaming around the gag again.

It was nearly five minutes before the second, and Merope's final, child came. It screamed, longer than the first, though much softer. Merope lay panting on the blood drenched blankets. Before the woman that brought her here helped her sit up and lean against the wall. As another woman began cleaning up, the first woman carefully picked up a small bundle and handed it to Merope.

"This is your first child, the elder one. It's a boy." The woman's voice was soft and Merope almost didn't hear, so absorbed in staring at her child. The boy looked up at his mother, quietly.

"Is it natural for them to be so quiet?" Merope whispered, staring reverently down at the boy. The older woman next to her smiled, though slightly uneasily as she held the second child.

"No, but it doesn't mean it is bad. Here, this is your second child, the younger one. It's a girl." Merope gathered the smaller of the two children in her other arm. The girl's bottom lip trembled slightly as she stared up at her mother. All was silent in the room, save for the second woman exiting the room.

"I wish for my son to be named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom from his father and Marvolo from mine." The woman nodded, sensing the woman's weakening energy. Merope leaned down and kissed the boys forehead. Then she looked over to the small girl. "And the girl…..she will be Hermione Jean Riddle. Hermione from Shakespeare." The orphanage worker was slightly surprised, not taking the dishelmed, poor woman before to be one that could read, much less know Shakespeare. "And Jean from my late mother."

Merope began coughing violently and the woman next to her gently took the two children, the girl beginning to cry, the boy soon after his sister. The second woman, whom had helped with the birth, walked in and sat on the other side of Merope, awaiting the young ladies death as her coworker stood silently with the two children and left the dark basement.

~Six Year Time Skip~

Tom had always known him and his sister were different from the others at Wool's Orphanage. While the other children often snuck out to play in the town, Tom and his sister snuck out to go to the library. They would sit in a corner, surrounded by books, and read the day away, often times forgetting to eat dry and bland meals up at the orphanage. When the sun would go down, and the librarian shooed them away, they would slowly and quietly make their way back up to their dark and uninviting home.

For it was uninviting, none of them wanted them there. What, with his unnaturally deep voice for a six year old, his sisters unnatural way of knowing _exactly_ what others were thinking, and both of their unnatural ways with animals and the conversations they held with snakes. That, perhaps was the most important characteristic of the Riddle twins that set them apart from all others.

The two were severely ostracized from the other children, often teased. And although Tom didn't have the problem too much - for he could, at times, defend himself - his sister was constantly bullied. She would come back to their shared room with bruises and cuts and refusing to tell him who had hurt her. The adults also aided the other disgusting children, turning a blind eye to their words, justifying their actions, and refusing to nurse the twins injuries.

Tom hated them and wished that he could kill them all and run away with his small sister. Malnourishment had affected the both of them, his sister more so than himself as she was the weaker and more susceptible of the two of them, not quite having a strong immune system. He was thin and, although it was partially natural due to his mothers natural skin tone, incredibly pale, his body not having the right nutrients. His sister, also unnaturally pale, was also very thin and very short, looking sickly most of the time. She also became sick quite easily, one reason Tom always insisted that they retreat to the more sanitary library every day instead of holing themselves up in their dirty room.

Tom looked over to his sister now, her frizzy chestnut curls springing wildly around her pale round face with her small nose buried in her book. Her tiny hands gently clutched the book resting on her thin and knobby legs. Tom smiled slightly, closing his book to stare at his sister.

She had the rather nasty habit of chewing on her lip, causing it to bleed when especially excited, anxious, or nervous. She was as easy to read as an open book, yet quite clever and the rather incredible liar, something he shared with her. She was more practical and logical than himself, preferring to stick strictly with instruction while he was the more daring twin, often trying things out of the norm. but they were both unnaturally intelligent and talented for six year olds, prodigies in the eyes of the world that was just too blind to see them.

Tom sighed and pulled the book from his sister, her silent protests and pout only furthering to make him smile. Her pout turned to a scowl and she turned to look away from him. Tom gave a small chuckle as he stood and began putting away the books. He heard shuffling before his shorter sister began helping him. They were out of the library minutes later, the librarian staring at them with something akin to morbid fascination as the Riddle twins walked up the hill.

~Five Year Time Skip~

Mrs. Cole looked at the odd man before her, his auburn beard and hair swaying in the cold English wind before she stood aside, allowing him to enter. Hesitantly, wondering is she was doing the right thing, led him down the hall to the final door where the Riddle twins resided. Nervous, she began to babble.

"Odd one, he is. Always manipulating the other children, talking to snakes and such. I believe he may have inherited some sort of madness from his mother." Seeing the confused expression on the man's face she elaborated. "I believe his mother was some sort of circus worker, what with the way she dressed and what she named the boy. Really, Tom Marvolo Riddle? What kind of name is that?" She gave a nervous giggle before she sighed in relief at finally arriving at the narrow door at the end. She opened it, and with a nod, the odd man entered and gently shut the door behind him, leaving himself and Tom alone.

**A/N: Alright, this is my first story. I hope everyone likes this. I don't believe anyone has tried this angle, so I hope everyone enjoys it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters.**


	2. Chapter 2

Tom observed the auburn man before him, confused. A small amount of worry was there, wondering where his sister was and if she were alright. But mostly, he was curious. No one had ever visited him. He wondered, briefly, if the man were here to adopt - he had to admit to a small amount of excitement - before he began to fear that he and his sister would be separated. But he quickly calmed himself, instead convincing himself that the man was some sort of doctor here to take him and his sister to an asylum. He wouldn't put it past the orphanage to do so.

The two exchanged pleasantries, the man - Albus Dumbledore - asking different things about, further cementing the idea that he was about to go to an asylum. But then, the man said that fateful line.

"You're a wizard, Tom." And Tom knew instantly, that all of the weird things about his sister and himself had logical reasoning. He knew that they would be taken to a better world, where they wouldn't be ridiculed for the odd things around them. He knew that they would be safer.

But he let none of this show on his face as he spoke to the man before him. He had always been very good at manipulating others and now was no different. He got the strange man to show him his powers, Tom feeling a cool sense of satisfaction, watching the flames and knowing that soon, he would be able to exact revenge on all of those that had ever dared to hurt him and his sister. He was shook from his thoughts by the man's questions.

"Why are you not more surprised, Tom? Most young children I come to are frightened and disbelieving of their magical abilities." The man continued smiling, though Tom could easily spot the deceit behind his falsely kind eyes.

"I've always been different. I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me. I can make them hurt if I want to…I can speak to snakes too. They find me, they whisper to me." Albus stared at him for a little while, a slightly horrified face crossing his features before it disappeared to be replaced by a forced smile. The man changed the topic of conversation to school - a castle, really - where Tom would be attending come this coming September. Yet, throughout the conversation, Tom realized the man never once mentioned his sister. Taking it no longer, Tom interrupted the man.

"And what of my sister?" The man blinked in utter confusion.

"You have a sister?" Tom stood angrily, advancing on the older, taller, and much more powerful man.

"Yes, my sister." He sneered. "Hermione Jean Riddle! She may be the nicer of us, but she performs magic, just as I do!" Albus blinked once more before he stood. Tom took a hesitant step back, wondering if, perhaps, he should have been calmer on the subject of his sister. Albus only smiled.

"Why don't you take me to your sister." Tom gave a stiff nod and quickly walked out the door. He paused outside the orphanage before he walked forward, letting his instincts direct him to his sister.

Hermione was buried in her book, absorbing the words. That morning, she learned that her brother was in trouble and, as such, was not allowed to leave the orphanage today. It had happened before and, like usual, Hermione had left early in the morning, before the sun was up, to wait outside the library until it opened. She had learned the hard way that, without the protection of her twin, the other children weren't afraid to hurt the weak, little 'freak'.

As she was, Hermione had completely drained out her surroundings and hadn't noticed the two figures approaching her. She startled violently when a hand landed on her shoulder - a hand that didn't belong to her brother - and she looked up at the auburn haired man with wide eyes. She gave a small whimper as her eyes locked onto the man.

Albus was slightly startled to find the girl so frightened of him. Frozen in his shock, he didn't let go of the girl's shoulder until the young boy behind him ripped the small child away from him. Tom pulled the girl behind him, where his arm rested on her back. Her thin and bruised arms encircled Tom's waist and she peered around her brother's arm at the strange man before them. Albus, still surprised, slowly stood, keeping his eyes on the children at all times. They watched him like hawks.

"Hello, Miss Riddle. My name is-" Her soft voice interrupted him.

"Albus Dumbledore." He blinked in shock and began to wonder if perhaps he had met the girl before. Yet, he didn't recognize the pale face framed with frizzy corkscrew curls, nearly covering the molten amber eyes that were staring at her feet. His eyes narrowed at the girls head - she gave a whimper and retreated behind her brother until the only thing seen were her arms. Albus shifted his gaze to Tom.

"Have I met the two of you before?" It was becoming a quick suspicion of his. The girl had known his name and Tom had been unsurprised at being told that he was a wizard. Tom answered for them.

"No, sir. As you have already told me, many witches and wizards are gifted with strange abilities, which you said explains my - and Hermione's - ability to speak with snakes. My sister has been gifted with the ability to know exactly what others are thinking. I myself have been, as I've already told you, been gifted with extraordinary power and the ability to command creatures. You yourself have already commented on this." Albus nodded, a smile spreading across his features, though the twins were quick to see the lies behind it. Hermione squeezed her brother slightly.

"I see. I apologize for my rudeness." Tom hesitated before giving a slight nod. Albus clapped his hands. "Well! I will see the two of you in a week to take you to Diagon Alley, to gather your supplies of course." Tom nodded once, and turned as the man walked around them, making sure to keep his frightened sister behind him and away from Albus at all times. Albus looked back once, giving the twins an odd look, before turning and exiting quickly out the door. The two stayed in their positions for a moment longer before they relaxed. Quietly, the two walked to a small nook between shelves and squeezed in next to each other so that they were hidden from anyone passing by.

"Tom, do we believe him?" Tom nodded, his arm resting over his sister's narrow shoulders.

"You didn't see any lies, did you?" Hermione shook her head. "That's what I thought." Seeing the doubt in his sister's eyes, he gave a warm smile - a smile he only showed when he and Hermione were alone. "Doesn't mean I trust him, just means I believe we are indeed magical. If nothing else, it is only logical." Hermione looked up with big eyes before smiling and nodding. She yawned and curled into her brothers side, quickly falling asleep. Tom smiled and leaned back, following his sister into sleep. The librarian had closed up long ago - not realizing, of course, that the Riddle's were still there - and Mrs. Cole would never realize that they hadn't come back.

~One Week Time Skip~

Tom and Hermione, both dressed in handed down clothes, walked with their shoulders pressed tightly to each other as they followed the man before them. They discreetly looked around them in wonder, staring at stores with brooms, or shops full of toads and owls, or shops with strange concoctions and odd plants and objects. The two hurried along behind Albus though, careful to not get lost in this strange world.

They soon left the crowded streets to enter into a small shop, somehow completely silent. The tall shelves were covered in thin boxes. Albus turned to smile at them.

"This is Ollivander's Wand Shop. This is, obviously, where you will get your wand. Mr. Ollivander will be here in a moment. In the mean time, I need to step out for a little while to do a few errands. If you finish before I get back, please wait here." The twins nodded and Albus quickly left. The twins had barely relaxed before an old man appeared, smiling with an odd look in his eyes. Hermione moved closer to Tom and he quickly put an arm around her, his head tilted up, looking the old man in the eye with an expressionless face. Ollivander chuckled before he stepped around his desk.

"Hello, no need to be frightened. I'm here to service you of course." He gave a chuckle, as if a joke had been spoken, and gave a mock bow. Hermione and Tom glanced at each other. He gave his hands one clap, making the two nervous children jump slightly. "Now, who should we do first? You?" He pointed to Tom. "Or you?" He pointed to Hermione. "Hmm…no, I'll do the both of you at the same time." He turned and began shuffling between shelves, occasionally pulling out boxes.

"How do we go about choosing our wands?" Tom was surprised to hear Hermione speak unprovoked. While in school she had no problem speaking out, she rarely spoke in company outside of school unless directly spoken to. But Ollivander ignored this small miracle and began babbling.

"I rarely fit two people at once for wands, unless, of course, they are twins. I find it rather difficult to fit twins separately. It is…unexplainable, but that's how it is. Alright, let's start." Tom and Hermione glanced at each other one last time before the old man came forth, arms overflowing with rectangular boxes.

~Two Hour Time Skip~

Albus had returned before leaving again, realizing it would be quite a while before the twins were finished. Hermione and Tom were growing weary of not being able to find a wand that suited them. Ollivander, on the other hand, was quite excited at the challenge the two children provided him.

"I wonder…" He paused and walked swiftly between the shelves. There was a pause before he called out for the two children to follow. With a glance at each other, the Riddle's walked swiftly after the old man. They followed only for a few seconds before they came upon a door which Ollivander swiftly opened and rushed the two inside.

The room was round and incredibly tall, with a single rolling ladder. The shelves, which were many, extended up to the ceiling. Each shelf housed pure white and black boxes. The shelves were neat. The room was in stark contrast to the rest of the shop. Ollivander began mumbling to himself as he climbed a shelf and began quickly scanning the boxes before he pulled two down, one black and one white. Carefully, he walked back over to the twins and set the boxes on the small table in the center of the room. He motioned them forward. Not wanting to upset the man, the two walked as one until they stood on the opposing side of the table. He pulled out the wand from the white box and handed it to Hermione. Next, he pulled out the longer wand from the black box and handed it to Tom.

He stepped back once he let go, allowing the whirlwind of magic that picked up as soon as he let go of Tom's wand. The twins couldn't make a sound as the magic grew thicker and thicker until, suddenly, it stopped. Hermione gasped in breath as her knees gave out, Tom barely having time to catch her as he leaned heavily against the small table. Ollivander continued to keep his distance, although his face was split by a grin.

Slowly, Tom regained his breath and stood back up, still holding tightly onto his little sister. He looked at the old man as his sister also regained her bearings, assessing the man and trying to find out what exactly had just occurred to him and his sister. Sensing the boy's curiosity, Ollivander summoned three chairs and sat, motioning for them to do so as well. Doing as the man said, they sat and awaited his explanation. They didn't have to wait long.

"This room is full of twin wands, all made from same cores and woods from the same tree. It's something I do differently from the other wand makers. The others wouldn't dare make so many twins." He snorted, looking off into the distance. He ignored the confused stares he was receiving from the two children. "Sure, they have no trouble creating brother wands." He mumbled a few choice words then, grumbling about the idiocies of others.

"Sir, may you tell us about our wands?" Hermione's voice was hesitant and Tom once more marveled at her willingness to speak. Ollivander looked back at the twins, as if only just then realizing that they were there.

"Oh, yes, yes. Well, Miss Riddle, 10¾ vine wood with a thin yew covering of dragon heartstring and phoenix feather. And you-" Tom interrupted this time.

"That doesn't sound right. Why is the wand include so many ingredients? Before, the other wands only had one wood and only one center."

"AH! Very good, very good! You're right, of course, these two wands are special in particular. Your wand, Mr. Riddle, is 13½ yew wand with a vine casing of dragon heartstring and phoenix feather. The opposite of your sister." He smiled at the confused look on their faces. "When a wand has two cores, one core - the dominant - is secured by the wood to stay straight. The second core is then wrapped around the dominant core. The double casings reveal more about the witch or wizard it is owned by. I suggest, looking out how…revealing your wands seemed to be of you two, that you get a book on wand making. I have one out front, if you would like." Hermione rapidly nodded her head, her eyes alight with excitement. Tom smiled and grabbed Hermione's hand as they followed Ollivander out of the room and back to the front of the shop.

Albus was out front, waiting for them. Tom's face immediately blanked and he pulled Hermione closer to him and glared at the man. Albus only smiled, paying Ollivander, and ushering the Riddle's out of the door.

"I have your books already, the same with your robes." Tom wondered where the man had found out their measurements but decided to ignore that detail. "I will see you two September 1st, at the castle. I will send someone to gather the two of you." They nodded, grabbing their trunks engraved with their names and dragging them after the man, whom was walking at a brisk pace.

~Three Day Time Skip~

Tom walked back into his room at the orphanage, a plate with food in hand. He closed the door gently behind him and dropped to his knees. A small hand shot out from under the bed and dragged the tray back under with it. Tom smiled and crawled under the bed where his sister lay, books stacked neatly next to her and a candle lit in front of her. She began munching on some bacon while Tom picked out a book for them to read.

His pale hand ghosted over the book on wands and, with a decisive smirk, he pulled the book down. He grabbed a sausage as his sister opened the book. They began to pour over the meaning of their wands.

~Hogwarts~

Albus sat behind his desk in his classroom, musing over his encounters with the Riddle twins. Something was wrong with them, especially the boy. He didn't trust them. His eyes narrowed. That wasn't entirely true. They were almost like…opposites. That's what Ollivander had told him. The boy was dark and the girl was light, that is what he saw in their auras. Something had to be done about them, especially the boy. He had an idea, but it was dangerous. Something could go wrong. But risks must be taken, especially if this letter he received from his future self had any importance.

**A/N: Alright, so I hope this chapter was a little more interesting. I'm actually really getting into this story. Anyways, I'm sorry that I don't have a lot of dialogue, I just like this more. Don't worry, next chapter I'll have a ton more inner thoughts next chapter.**

**Does everyone like the chapter lengths? Are they too long?**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters.**


	3. Chapter 3

Tom slowly opened his eyes to stare at the stone ceilings of his dorm on the first day of classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He sighed, his molten eyes closing for a moment before he slowly pulled himself up. It was the first time in eleven years that he had woken up in bed alone, without his sister. His feet met with the cold floor, quickly waking him. He gave himself a shake and quickly stood, grabbing the clothes he had set out the night before and rushing into the bathroom. Him and Hermione were meeting in front of the Great Hall before all of the other students so that they could eat together and then do some last minute studying before classes.

He was at the great hall in less than twenty minutes. His white buttoned shirt was tucked neatly into black slacks, his Slytherin green and silver striped tie hanging from his neck. His robes rested over the ensemble, unbuttoned. His eyes quickly scanned the area before the door, beginning to panic as the seconds ticked by and his sister had not appeared. He jumped, spinning around with narrowed eyes, a sneer on his face and wand in hand when a small touched his arm.

Tom quickly relaxed upon locking onto eyes identical to his own, a short smile spreading across his face before it quickly dissolved into a scowl. His sister, the sweet little girl constantly dressed in clothes that barely showed her hands and feet, was now revealing a great amount of skin. Her knees down were visible from under her black skirt and her white buttoned shirt was tucked neatly into her skirt and her hair wildly flowing around her head. She wore her robe like him.

"Hermione, why aren't you wearing pants?" She blinked up at him in confusion.

"Skirts are mandatory for female students, remember? We read about it!" She smiled up at him brightly and he just sighed with another quick smile. With a quick glance around, he gently wrapped his hand around hers and tugged her into the Great Hall, immediately walking over to the back of the Slytherin table. Although Hermione was in Ravenclaw, they decided the best place to eat would be in the back and against the wall so that they could make a quick escape.

The two were pleasantly surprised when plates full of steaming food popped in front of them. Tom looked up in time to see a heart warming smile spread across Hermione's pale, freckled face.

"Looks like last night's meal wasn't a fluke." He chuckled and silently agreed with his sister. The two immediately dug into their meal, eating bliss as moist sausages fell apart in their mouths, bacon gave a delicious crunch with each bite, and the sunny sided eggs ran gently down from their punctured tops.

~Two Month Time Skip~

It was only two months into school and already he was bored. Classes were pointless and silly, full of drooling, idiotic students and incompetent professors. They were jokes. Tom, never having done magic before his time here, had strong belief that he could teach the classes in his sleep. Specifically, Defense Against the Dark Arts and the Potions class.

Professor Merrythought, while not a fool, was restricted by both the Headmaster and the Ministry from teaching everything she could. She was forced to teach the same curriculum that she had been teaching for the past fifty years. Be that as it may be, she made no attempt to stretch her limitations, to toe the edge of the line, or teach, perhaps, a few shady things. No, she was if nothing, a stickler for the rules.

Professor Slughorn, on the other hand, was completely daft and useless. He only cared about connections and being known by everyone. He didn't care if someone was talented but a nobody. He didn't care if someone could save his life but would never amount to anything. In Tom's opinion, the man was pureblooded supreme-ist and a severe sexist.

Tom sighed and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind and calm himself before Hermione came out. She wouldn't like the direction his thoughts were taking. She never did like it when he was violent or mean. Just as he never liked that she was sweet and always trying to see the best in others. But these were not thoughts to dwell on, especially since he could hear the soft crunch of grass under small feet steadily growing louder. He sat up quickly and turned to look up at her.

They had both flourished quite well at the castle, away from the orphanage. He was finally putting on some weight and he had, suddenly, hit a growth spurt. He was already abnormally tall. He was eleven and already five and a half feet tall. His skin, instead of being sickly pale, was now a smooth and healthy pale. Hermione's hair was just as frizzy as usual, but it was healthier, not as dry. And her skin also had a healthy grow. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like she would ever grow to be tall. She was over a foot shorter than himself.

Unaware to her twin's inner thoughts and observations, Hermione smiled happily and plopped down next to him, her short, pale legs stretched out in front of her. He frowned a little, glancing around them quickly to make sure no was looking at her. Once satisfied, he turned back to his sister with a small smile to answer her bright and happy one.

"Tom, don't you just love it here? I mean, finally, people don't hate us for what we can do, they admire us. The people in Ravenclaw, they don't tease me for my knowledge, they love me! And the adults!" Tom tuned her out as he watched her, content to see her so happy and excited, so vocal and confident in herself. For once she wasn't quietly hiding behind him, leaning on him for protection. He was slightly upset that she wasn't so independent on him - he quite enjoyed her complete admiration and devotion to him and only him - but the disappointment was far outweighed by his immense joy that she wasn't a frightened little mouse anymore. "Tom?" He shook his head, focusing back on her.

"Of course I agree with you, Hermione. We are one in the same and our minds, generally, come to the same conclusion. This time is no different." Her smile was instantly blinding and he gave a chuckle as he laid back into the soft grass. After a moment of silence, Hermione shifted until she also lay beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, her body tucked into his side and he stretched his arm to circle around her shoulders.

The two merely laid there, staring up at the blue sky, unaware of the auburn haired main staring out from his classroom window at the two. He watched as the boy pulled out his wand and summoned small, brightly colored birds that flew and danced in the air above the twins, twirling and circling together, dancing complicated, unplanned, and intricate dances in the willing air.

Albus, as the days continued, grew more and more convinced that he had to separate them. They were far to smart and together, very dangerous. There had been instances throughout time of couples like the one outside, their auras complete opposites. The couples, together, were nearly impossible to defeat, their magic impossibly large and their lives extended beyond belief. They were, it seemed, raised to a sort of demigod level. And no matter if the couples were known to have done immense good or immense evil, it was never, in his opinion, right to let them stay together.

Albus believed - along with his future self that had found a way to contact him - that if the couple was separated, the auras could be manipulated into blending into the aura of those around them. They would become vulnerable. While it was not necessarily the most moral thing in the eyes of the public to do - separating two that were, essentially, destined to be together in any sort of manner - it had to be done. And Albus held the belief that, if the two were separated, they would, without the other, grow at the normal aging rate of witches and wizards.

Albus looked back down to the two. The birds had multiplied in numbers, dancing around the girl who was now standing, trying to catch one. Tom sat against a tree, a small smile on his face as he watched his small sister. Suddenly, Tom's face jerked to the side and he stared up to Albus, his molten amber eyes staring straight into Albus' blue ones. Albus barely held in a gasp, though he was unable to stop his eyes from widening.

Tom glared, his smile turning into a light snarl as he abruptly stood, jerking his eyes from Albus. The birds disappeared and Hermione turned to face her brother, barely able to catch herself as he took hold of her hand and walked swiftly back into the castle.

Albus stood there for a while longer before he finally pulled himself away from the window and sat behind his desk, shaken by the complete and utter hatred that had shone from the young boys eyes. He rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling a hundred years old. His eyes, full of pain and wisdom, stared blankly across his room, lost in memories secret to the world until, finally, he dragged himself back to the present. He absently pulled out stacks of parchment and began working. If he wished to separate the two, he had some serious work ahead of him.

~One Month Time Skip, Christmas~

Tom was already up, completely dressed and gathering his bags to leave the dorms before the sun was even rising on Christmas. He had decided to surprise his sister this year, never being able to do so before. Here, he had plenty of rooms in which to take her to so that he may surprise her. He had learned plenty of spells and charms and he knew exactly what he was going to do. He smiled, briefly, to himself before he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and dashed out of the Slytherin dorm rooms.

He made his way up to the eighth floor of the castle and began walking around, looking in the rooms to find one that fit his standards. After roughly thirty minutes, he finally came across the perfect room, located at the corner of two corridors.

The room had a wall of windows, tall and dusty. The ceilings rafters were exposed, the wood old and thick. As it was very old, probably a couple centuries since it was last used, it was no longer full of desks and chairs. There was a single chair and three desks. Looking out of the thick glass, the sun was just beginning to peak a few rays over the surrounding mountains. He had a short amount of time to prepare the room for his sister.

~One Hour Time Skip~

Hermione leaned against the wall outside of the Great Hall, waiting for Tom to arrive so they could eat together. As the time continued to tick by, she grew more and more nervous. Tom was late. But Tom was never late. Ever. He had a way of getting out of things, just so he could be on time to meet with her. He was always there for her, always reliable. And that included being with her on time. But Tom was late.

Just as she was working herself into a panic, ready to run to Headmaster Dippet, Tom descended a staircase and walked straight for her. Hermione gave a small sigh in relief before she darted across the hall, her bag forgotten beside the wall. Her eyes sparked in brief anger at her brothers delighted smile before he caught her in his arms and spun her around. She squealed before he settled her down on the ground. Quickly, before she could protest, he grabbed her hand in his and walked her to the wall. He quickly grabbed her bag and hoisted it onto his shoulder, despite her protests, and began leading her in the opposite direction of the Great Hall, back to the staircase. It took Hermione a moment before she realized they were going the wrong way.

"Tom, what's wrong with you this morning? Why where you late? Where are we going? Give me my bag! Will you ans-" Tom stopped and pulled her closer ,leaning down to be eye level with her. She stopped talking immediately.

"Hermione, do you trust me?" She nodded. "Have I ever lead you astray or made you do something you don't want to do?" She shook her head. "Will you hush and just come with me and stop arguing?" She scowled and he smiled, enjoying her newfound spirit. Finally she nodded, her face dissolving into a resolute pout as she crossed her arms. Tom's smile grew wider before he wrapped his long arm around her shoulders and lead her up the stairs with him.

Finally, the two arrived on the eighth floor and Hermione began to look around them, curious, though she firmly kept her pout in place. Tom only smiled as she turned bright eyes up to him, pleading for answers, he only looked forward again and took her to the door of choice. Pulling out his wand, he began performing spells that only fifth years and up should have been able to do. But like he said, he had been planning this for quite some time now. Hermione looked on curiously. Finally, he stopped and put his wand away. He turned and walked behind her. She twisted her head up to look at him.

"Tom?" He only smiled and pulled a blindfold from his pocket.

"Hermione, close your eyes." She did so hesitantly and turned her head to the door. She felt the soft fabric slide of her eyes and Tom's thin, strong fingers tie the cloth snugly against her head. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her forward, removing a hand only to open the door and close it behind them. He walked her forward a little more before he finally stopped. His large, warm hands stayed firmly on her shoulders for a few more moments before Hermione begin to shift restlessly.

"To-"

"Hermione, are your eyes still closed?" His voice was so close, right next to her ear. She jumped before nodding. "Good. Now, keep them closed until I tell you to open them. Is that understood?" Again she nodded and heard a faint 'Good' before the blindfold was removed and the warmth coming from him was removed as he left her. She shivered slightly, but held her position, eyes closed tightly. Finally, her brother's voice answered from across the room. "Hermione, open your eyes." And so she did.

She gasped in absolute shock, wonder, and joy. The old room was decorated perfectly for the season. There was a soft snow falling from the rafters, though those were covered by fluffy clouds. The snow disappeared before it reached her head. The windows were frost rimmed, revealing the sky that was mirrored by the rooms ceiling. Holly and mistletoe drifted lazily about the air. The walls were covered in ivy and ice. A table was set in the corner, piled high with the most glorious food: eggs and bacon, muffins and pastries, orange juice and milk, and so on. The chairs on opposite sides of the small table were plush and soft, the deepest green with small, gold and deep red tassels.

But the thing that drew her attention was the tree in the center of the room. It reached nearly to the clouds, the bright, glowing star on top doing so. Balls of varying sizes floated closely to the tree's limbs, golden and silver strands of garland encircling it. The tree glittered as if covered in a thousand pounds of glitter, little orbs of light danced in and out of the tree. Below the large limbs were brightly wrapped presents. Hermione smiled in delight and walked forward to the tree.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her off her feet. Her head twisted around once more to stare up at her smiling brother as he carried her to the table. He looked down at her as he settled her in her chair.

"Breakfast first. Then presents." Hermione scowled slightly before smiling and turning to wait for her brother to sit and take the first bite.

~Christmas Night~

Hermione yawned widely on the transfigured bed. Her arms stretched in the air and her new, large book fell onto her lap - _Hogwarts, A History._ Tom looked from his own new book to smile at his sister. Silently, he rose and blew out his candle before walking over to the bed. He slid in and quickly snatched the book from her lap, carefully marking the page with a ribbon and setting it on the floor with his book.

"Wait! I wasn't done with that yet!" Tom only smiled as he lifted her to pull the blanket out and tuck her under it. She struggled, though he easily held her down with one arm as he pulled himself under the blanket also. Finally giving up, she huffed and turned to face him as he did the same. Together, smiles spread across their faces.

"Thank you, Tom." She whispered, as if they were back in the orphanage.

"It was nothing, I've always wanted to do that for you." Hermione's smile grew wider and she scooted forward to hug Tom, her arms just barely reaching all the way around him. Tom smiled and wrapped his own, much longer arms all the way around her, pulling her tighter to him. Hermione yawned and snuggled into his chest.

"I love you, Tom." Her voice came out softly and lazily, their joy filled day catching up with her.

"I love you too, Hermione." He felt her smile against his chest.

"Good Night, Tom." Light breathing, longer than her normal breathing, issued from her mouth, signaling her state of sleep. Tom shifted so he looked down on to the top of her head. Smiling, he curled his body around her, holding her tightly to his chest.

"Good Night, Hermione." And he followed her into sleep.

**A/N: Alright, I know it was a while, but here's the next chapter. I just kept changing the direction I wanted to take the story. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and that everyone has a wonderful Christmas! I'm not sure if I'll have the next chapter up before then.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS.**


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